


Until Next Time

by noodlecatposts



Series: ACOTAR AU Week 2019 [5]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: ACOTAR AU Week!, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Ficlet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:29:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21774463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noodlecatposts/pseuds/noodlecatposts
Summary: The scorch marks would lead Nesta to their source.Or, Nesta is a Prefect, and Cassian is a troublemaker.Posted in participation with ACOTAR AU Week Day 5: Hogwarts AU
Relationships: Azriel & Cassian & Rhysand (ACoTaR), Nesta Archeron/Cassian
Series: ACOTAR AU Week 2019 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568818
Kudos: 31
Collections: ACOTAR AU Week Day 5





	Until Next Time

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclaimer that I haven't read anything Hogwarts related in YEARS.

The scorch marks would lead Nesta to their source.

Or so she told herself as she made her way down the chilly corridors of Hogwarts. Nesta hated having to guard curfew; she’d much rather be back in her room, studying or reading. Anything would be better than following the smell of burnt powder and blackened stone, trying to figure out its cause—its source.

There were also the faint whispers, signs that someone was out and about where they shouldn’t be; a hushed chuckle in the distance confirmed that fact, pushed Nesta further, deeper into the castle.

The Prefect already had an idea of who she was going to find at the end of this trail, a feeling that it would be the same idiot—or idiots based upon the footsteps—that it always was. And this wouldn’t be the first time that Nesta found herself hunting him down.

Honestly, sometimes it felt like Cassian _waited_ for the evenings that Nesta had to patrol the halls of the castle, as if he _wanted_ to cause her trouble and have her give chase, like he was _purposely trying_ to make her rip all of her hair out.

Cassian has been a thorn in Nesta’s side ever since the ill-fated day that a certain, troublesome Gryffindor ruined a whole train ride by buying and releasing all of the chocolate frogs from the sweet cart. He hadn’t wanted to eat them, didn’t desire the chocolate; no, Cassian just wanted the cards inside, declared himself on a desperate search for the Veritas, and released another.

That was the first time she ever took notice of him; unfortunately, it wasn’t the last. Cauldron knows how the boy has avoided expulsion for so long; maybe it was because of his benefactor, a prestigious Auror who was also Cassian’s best friend’s father.

There’s a crash; the sound echoes down the cold stone walls, reverberating in Nesta’s bones. Lovely. Someone hisses something, low and venomous. Nesta chases after the sound. She supposes that hunting these fools down is better than talking to the portraits all night. Or the ghosts.

“Cass!” The call is so quiet, Nesta has to strain to hear it. She’s got him now.

Nesta clutches at the book hidden in her blue robes; inside it, she uses Veritas as a bookmark. She’d stumbled upon the card ages ago, usually just tossed them out or gave them to Feyre. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—tell you why she’d decided to hang on to this one, to treasure it so.

Nesta knew Cassian still had yet to get his hands on his own, but they weren’t friends. Why would she save him a card? Give him one so rare, only out of kindness?

So, she decided to keep it. Soon, Nesta would have to make a decision before she graduated and left all of this behind, ventured into the murky world of adulthood.

“Ha! You wish!”

Nesta snaps out of her train of thought; she knows that bark of a laugh. They’ve made it to the stairs already. The boys are running for freedom back towards their dorms and the safety of their beds. Nesta quickens her steps; someone needs to be held accountable for all this damage! You can just set off a few Thunder Crackers without consequences!

“ _Cassian!_ ” Rhysand calls, his hiss floating towards Nesta. He’s the lanky one, limbs still too long for him to know what to do with. The one with all the hair that likes to waste time fawning over Feyre. “Hurry your butt up or we’ll leave you!”

Another cocky, familiar laugh. Nesta can just picture his smug expression, messy and untamed hair in his eyes. She wants to smack that look right off his face.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Cassian whispers in challenge. He does love a challenge.

“We would,” Rhys answers, serious. “I’m not spending another night in the horrid forest because you—“

“The stairs are changing,” Azriel warns, voice soft and calm. Nesta has never seen the kid break a sweat, despite his friends' penchant for trouble.

In a last-ditch effort, Nesta breaks into a run, determination pumping through her veins. She growls in frustration as she listens to the staircase begins to groan, the castle moaning with the effort of reconfiguring.

As she rounds the corner, Nesta sees him. Cassian stands at the base of the stairs, seconds away from losing his opportunity for a getaway.

“Cassian!” Nesta shouts, fury giving volume to her voice. Cassian pauses one foot in the air. He looks over his shoulder and notices her, a crooked grin spreading across his face.

With a wink in her direction, Cassian hops across the gap and onto the stairwell, running after his friends. He pauses, turns towards Nesta; the difference is too far for her to jump, and he knows it.

“Until next time, Nessie!”


End file.
